By Enago Academy | Speaker: Dr. Krishna Kumar Venkitachalam (KK)

After discussing how members of the LGBTQIA+ community have faced systemic barriers and underrepresentation in our first podcast of the DEIA series of our “Research and Beyond”

In this second instalment of our series, we dig deeper into the complexities and nuances of LGBTQIA+ experiences in higher education across the globe. As universities strive to create more inclusive environments, we uncover the progress made, the challenges that persist, and the road ahead for true equity in academic spaces.

Key topics explored in this episode include:

• The impact of changing political climates on DEI initiatives in academia
• The role of student activism and labor movements in driving institutional change
• Challenges in maintaining advocacy efforts when transitioning from academia to corporate settings
• The crucial responsibility of educators and senior academics in fostering truly inclusive spaces

The conversation between Dr. Krishna Kumar Venkitachalam (KK), the Innovation Officer at Enago and Dr. Gayatri Phadke, a PhD from the University of Connecticut and an ally to the LGBTQIA+ community delves into the importance of allowing personal experiences to shape research and the need to move beyond the “stay in your lane” mentality in academia.

This episode serves as both a reflection on current practices and a call to action for listeners to actively engage in creating more equitable and diverse scholarly environments.

Tune in to broaden your perspective and discover how you can contribute to positive change in academic spaces.